Asus My Cinema-U3100Mini TV Tuner Review

Introduction:

LCD monitors are not very different from their more expensive counterparts – LCD televisions. The only major difference is that the television is capable of being hooked up to coaxial/RCA readily. In steps the TV tuner – a device that can be used with a computer to allow monitors to act as televisions – users can finally watch TV signals from the comfort and convenience of a computer setup.

A TV tuner that fits the bill and is portable and easy to use is the Asus My Cinema U3100Mini. This petite USB device allows computers to view ATSC/QAM digital television – which is replacing the current analog setup in the United States of America fully by February 17th, 2009. The included software is simple to use for watching television, recording television shows, capturing and browsing frames taken from shows, pausing shows with a time delay (so you don’t miss anything), watching DVDs, listening to music libraries, and even managing radio broadcasts (this tuner does not have radio capabilities). The software also allows any broadcasts to be played in the Windows Sidebar. Also, this device is Asus EEE laptop friendly with special drivers included on the installation discs, and the packaging claims it to be a power saving device – good for notebooks where battery life is key.

Closer Look:

The tuner came in a small white and green box, which displays the tuner up front and center, held by a plastic clamshell package. The front states that the device is “Certified for Windows Vista,” but also mentions that it is certified for all versions of Vista and XP SP2. The features are also briefly mentioned – USB 2.0 interface, watch and record ATSC/QAM TV, HDTV support, and LED indicator. The sides show a glimpse of the tuner as well, and the back elaborates more about the features. The package looks great.